CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A young girl took a big chance when she went to Charleston’s Christmas parade on Friday night, but when she felt herself struggling with anxiety, she got help from the most unlikely source. Now, she’s returning the favor.
They call him Picaso.
“I met Picaso at the Christmas parade in Charleston by the mall,” said Abigail Ellis, Picaso’s owner.
Her name is Abigail Ellis and she suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS, which causes her to experience severe anxiety, and that’s exactly what happened Friday night during the parade.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I see a dog coming at us, and my immediate reaction was he’s going to attack her, but he didn’t. He got up underneath her, and pushed her back, and stood nose to nose. He didn’t lick, he didn’t jump, he didn’t bark. Just nose to nose as if to say I see you,” said Melissa Smoot, Abigail’s mom.
Picaso calmed Abigail down, and she knew right away he was hers forever.
“He just came up to me and made sure I was okay and just held me up. He lifted me up with nose. I felt safe and my mom asked his name for me, and we just came to see him the next day and adopted him,” said Ellis.
“I was meant to be. Her wish was to always have a dog, and I’ve been praying about it anyway, and this was my confirmation. He was ours. From the moment we saw him, he was ours,” said Smoot.
Abigail’s mom, Melissa says Picaso loves to stand up on his back legs and put his paws on you to give hugs. The following day, when Abigail went to adopt Picaso at the animal shelter, the first thing he did was jump into her arms and give her a hug.
“I can’t explain it. It’s just fate, and love, and joy to see her showing some emotion because she doesn’t show emotion, and she’s showing love and excitement, and it’s good to see. I mean it’s good to see her coming out of her shell because of a dog,” said Smoot.
The unconditional love of a dog helps many just like Abigail. She and her family get to take Picaso home forever on Wednesday, just in time for Christmas
